All night festival in Leeds returns for Summer Solstice

MUSIC fans can mark the longest day of the year by soaking up some Indian classical music at the Summer Solstice Festival.

The overnight event, which is now in its third year, will be held in Leeds and will see a host of artists performing from sunset on Saturday, June 21, until sunrise the following day.

The all-night concert is the only one of its kind in the UK and will be held at Arts@Trinity, at Holy Trinity Church on Boar Lane.

Local charity South Asian Arts-uk (SAA-uk) has organised the festival.

Keranjeet Kaur Virdee, chief executive of SAA-uk, said: “The idea came to me when I heard musicians talking about the compositions of music they spend a long time practicing but rarely get chance to perform.

“Rarely do musicians have the opportunity to play late at night and into the early morning, times which evoke the true essence of the music that the composers aim to capture.

“This festival gives the artists the chance to showcase their musical abilities to a wide audience.

“The whole evening is a transforming experience which I truly believe leaves you on a high, and we welcome everyone to join in the celebrations.

“I’m confident that even people who don’t understand the music will enjoy being a part of a rich, diverse evening.”